Furniture



(No Model.)

E. L. FULLER. FURNITURE \NVEQJUR.

WITNEEEE5 WM ATTY- ,PHOTO-U'MO. WASHINGTON D C UNTTED STATES PATENT UEEicE,

EDGAR L. FULLER, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,945, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed September 3, 1895. Serial No. 561,180. (No modeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR L. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Furniture, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to furniture of that class consisting of a main frame or body havingafolding section and legs connected therewith at one or both ends thereof, and is particularly well adapted, among other uses, to be embodied in cot-beds, and for the purposes of this application I will hereinafter describe the invention as embodied in a cot-bed.

In accordance with this invention, the mattress-supporting frame constituting the main frame or body of the cot-bed is provided preferably at both ends with legs and end sec tions constructed and so connected together and to the said supporting-frame, as will be described, that both the end section and the legs connected therewith may be folded under and substantially parallel with the mat tress supporting frame, and further constructed so that in the open position of the cot-bed the said end section and legs are locked against movement, as will be described. These and other features of this invention, will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a sufficient portion of a cot-bed embodying this invention to enable it to be understood; Fig. 2, a sec-' tional detail of the bed shown in Fig. 1 on the line 2 2, looking toward the right; Fig. 3, a sectional detail similar to Fig. 2, showing the position occupied by the end section and the supporting-legs when partially folded under the bed, and Fig. 4 a sectional detail similar to Fig. 2, showing the position occu pied by the end section and the supportinglegs when in their folded or closed position.

The cot-bed herein shown as embodying this invention consists essentially of a main frame or body portion composed of side rails a of and cross or end rails a secured to and resting 011 the side rails near their opposite ends, only one of the said end rails being herein shown, the mattress being not herein shown, but in practice this is usually made of wire and secured to the cross or end rails.

In accordance with this invention, preferably both ends of the main frame or body portion are provided with folding-sections and supportinglegs constructed and con nected together so as to fold under the main frame of the bed in such manner, as will be described, that the end section in its folded position does not project beyond the ends of the side rails. The end sections are and preferably will be made as herein shown, each end section consisting of two side bars a a (see Fig. 1) pivotally connected at 2 to the side rails a a of the main frame 011 the inner side of the same and near the end of the said side rails. The side bars a o are connected together by a cross board or bar a, located, as herein shown, near the opposite end of the said side bars. The side rails a a have also pivotally secured to them supporting-legs Z) Z) pivoted at their upper ends, as at b to the inside of the said side rails, the said legs being preferably connected together at or near their lower ends by a brace bar or rod 5 The side rails a ct of the main frame are disconnected beyond the pivots 2 of the end section, so that the side bars a a of the end section are free to turn from a substantially vertical position (shown in Fig. 2) through an arc of substantially two hundred and seventy degrees into the position shown in Fig, 4, and in order that the supporting-legs I) Z) may be simultaneously turned on their pivots b up toward the mattress-supporting frame and into the position represented in Fig. 4 substantially parallel with the side rails a and a the side bars of the end section are connected to the said supporting-legs by rods, links or bars 0 and c, the said links being pivotally connected to the supporting-legs substantially at their center, as herein shown, by pivots c and connected to the side bars of the end section by the pivots By reason of the side rails a and a of the mattress-supporting frame being unconnecttions would not perform their functions of head and foot rests when the cot or bed is in use, and to secure the said end sections in their upright or operative positions I have provided a locking mechanism for the said end. sections, by which the said sections are firmly locked against backward or outward movement until the said sections are released.

The lockin g mechanism may and preferably will be made as herein shown, and consists of gravity-acting dogs 0 c pivoted, as at c 0 to the side bars a a of each end section, the said dogs being preferably made of iron and provided with substantially square ends, which are adapted to engage substantially V- shaped notches c in the ends of extensions 0 of the connecting links or rods 0 c, the said extensions projecting beyond the side bars in their normal position, (shown in Fig. 1,) whereby a stronger connection between the said bars and the links 0 c is obtained than if the said links did not extend beyond the said side bars, thereby enabling the cot to withstand considerable strain without danger of splitting the said bars.

The end sections referred to may and preferably will be prevented from moving forward toward the top of the bed or cot by means of a suitable stop, which in the present instance is shown as formed by the cross or end rails, a of the cot or bed, and in practice the end rails may be provided on their rear side with the slots or channels 0, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. into which the side bars of the end section may enter.

I prefer to em ploy the form of locking mechanism herein shown, but I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise construction of locking mechanism herein shown, which in the normal position of the end section firmly holds the said end section in its substantially upright or vertical position and firmly locks-the said end section and the supporting-legs connected therewith from turning, thereby rendering the said end section and the supporting-legs substantially rigid in their normal position, but which is so constructed as to release both the end section and the supporting-legs to permit the end section to be turned in the arc of a circle of substantially two hundred and seventy degrees, so as to enable the end section to be folded under the main frame of the bed.

In the normal position of the end section and the supporting-legs, (represented in Fig. 2,) the cot or bed is in position to be utilized, but when it is not desired to use the cot or bed and to fold the same up, so it will occupy a minimum amount of space, the locking-dogs c c are disengaged from the substantially V-shaped sockets c and the end section may then be turned down in the direction indicated by the arrow 10, Fig. 2, and in its down ward movement the said end section causes the supporting-legs connected therewith to be moved in the direction indicated by arrow 20, Fig. 3, which direction is substantially the same direction as that in which the end section is moved.

In Fig. 3 I have represented the end section as turned through an arc of substantially one hundred and eighty degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2, and in Fig. 4 I have shown the end section as turned through an arc of substantially two hundred and seventy degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 4: it will be noticed that the supporting-legs and the side bars of the end section are substantially parallel with the side rails of the cot or bed, and that the same lie within the ends of the side rails, leaving in the present instance only a small portion of the con necting-link projecting beyond the end of the said side rail.

I have herein described my invention as embodied in a cot, and while it is particularly adapted to this particular article of furniture I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the feature of the end section and the supporting-legs connected therewith, together with the locking mechanism for the end section in its upright position, may be embodied in other articles of furniture-such, for instance, as settees, chairs, &c.

I claim 1. In an article of furniture provided with side rails or bars, the combination with an end section comprising side bars pivotally secured to the said side rails or bars and capable of being turned in an arc of substantially two hundred and seventy degrees, of supportinglegs pivotally secured to the said side rails, links or bars pivotally connected to the said supporting-legs and end sections and provided with extensions projecting beyond the side bars of the end sections in their upright position, and means carried by the end section for engaging the said extensions to lock the end sect-ion in its normal or upright position, substantially as described.

2. In an article of furniture provided with side rails or bars, the combination with an end section comprising side bars pivoted to the said side rails and capable of being turned in an arc of substantially two hundred and seventy degrees, of supporting-legs pivoted to the said side rails, links pivotally connected to the supporting-legs and to the side bars of the end sections, extensions of said links proj ecting beyond the said side bars in their normal position, and dogs pivoted to the side bars of the end sections and adapted to engage the said extensions to lock the end section against backward movement, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR L. FULLER.

Witnesses:

J AS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

IIO 

